Wax coating composition



Patented Oct. 1, i935 A V i UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WAX COATING COMPOSITION Carl Winning, Elizabeth, N. J.',assignor to Standard Oil Development Company, a corporation of Delaware No Drawing. Application August 29, 1933, ,Serial No. 687,313

4 Claims. (01. 134- 1) 7 This invention relates to improvements in wax were found to have good adhesive power, but these coating compositions, particularly those that prodo not yield a smooth non-sticky surface which duce a smooth non-sticky surface when used in is highly desirable for this type of work.

coating plants, such as shrubs, and trees which An object of this invention is to produce a are about to be stored, transplanted, pruned or smooth, non-tacky coating composition which 5 otherwise operated upon. possesses good flexibility and a relatively high Various wax coating compositions have been melting point. used to protect plants against rot, mold, drying According to this invention, crude petrolatum out, where theplants' have been removed from which generally contains asphalt or a refined 10 the ground, and to stimulate growth upon repetrolatum to which a thickening agent such as 10 planting by reducing transpiration. For example, asphalnaluminum stearate, rubber, or cellulose wax dissolved in volatile solvents has heretotrilaurate has been added, is incorporated with fore been used, but after applying such a mateparaifin wax to form a coating composition which the Solvent must be allowed to vapora possesses the desired properties. Asphalt and and as a result a fire hazard exists. Also, wax other viscosity-increasing bodies will hereafter dissolvedin highly refined avy ub a ng pebe known as thickeners. The term petrolatroleum oil has been used. In this case, howtum is herein employed to describe mixtures ever, the oil generally seeps to the surface, and of petrolatum wax and oil substantially free of the result is that an oily coating is found as asphalt or other thickening agent. a layer on the outside. Wax, at an elevated The following formulas illustrate the various temperature and in a molten state, has likewise coating compositions that have been prepared been applied to trees and shrubs, but on cooling according to this invention andfound to answer it becomes brittle, cracks, and is easily, chipped the requirements of a non-sticky, plastic mateofi. Furthermore, wax mixed with sticky resinrial possessing good flexibility and a relatively ous substances or beeswax have been used. and high melting point. 25

Constituents Properties of blend Penetration Parafiln wax 1 Blending agents grs. at Mel-ting 30 I 0 F) pOmt Degrees Fahrenheit 3 5 white scale 20% crude petrolatum 10% rosin 70 121.

70% refined 20% crude petrolatum 10% rosm 47 refined. 43 70% refined.-. 54 70% refined-. 47 70% crude scale F. M. P.) 27 90% crude scale 70 80% crude scale 54 4O 80% crude scale" 53 70% refin 45 80% crude scale 55 80% crude scale. 10% crude petr 54, 80% crude scale 10% crude petrolatum.- 5 80% refined 10% crude petrolatum 36 75% refined--. 10% snow white petrolatum 69 45 75% refined--- 10% snow white petrolatum 5% polymerized un 72 drocarbons. 75% refined--- 10% snow white petrolatum. 5% rubber 48 75% refined.---. 10% snow white petrolatum. 5% cellulose tnlaurate 56 80% refined 10% snow white petrolatum 10 F. M. Pt. steam re- 32 duced asphalt.

5o 1 Unless otherwise noted, the wax has a melting point of 122 F.

The above wax coating compositions have good to excellent flexibility. The flexibility was determined by coating pieces of a rubber gasket inch x 2 inches X 4; inch with flexible collodion, and after this had dried, dipping them into the coating material maintained at 160 F. They were immediately removed, allowed to cool to room temperature for one-half hour and immersed in ice water (at 32 to 35 F.) for one hour. When removed, they were at once flexed by bending them about bottles of successively decreasing diameter. A poor coating will spall off in large flakes when bent around an 8 inch diameter bottle; a very good coating will scarcely crack when bent around a 1 inch diameter bottle and the crack will disappear when the strip is unflexed.

The coating composition is applied to plants in the following manner: A tank open at the top is filled almost to the top with the coating composition. Heat is applied to melt the coating composition and to maintain a temperature in the neighborhood of 170, but not substantially over 175 F. The plants are then taken by the roots and the tops dipped quickly in the molten coating composition and withdrawn. Care is taken to maintain the temperature below about 175 F. Lower temperatures than 170 F. form a heavier coating of the coating composition, which is not desirable as it does not protect the plants any better, and also is likely to crack and flake off, thus partly destroying the effectiveness. It is necessary to do the dipping quickly for best results. Care must be taken not to allow the roots to be coated.

This coating composition is found to be very suitable for coating plants but is not limited to that particular use. It is also suitable for water proofing materials such as shower bath curtains,

tarpaulins, rope, raincoats, masonry; also for rustproofing pipe, plates, machinery, munitions; preserving rubber tires, poles, piles, wood structures and ships; and for protecting foodstuffs such as fruits, vegetables, cheese, etc.

The foregoing description is merely illustrative and alternative compositions may be made within the scope of the appended claims in which it is my intention to claim all novelty as broadly as the prior art permits. 10

I claim:

1. A non-tacky wax coating composition possessing flexibility and having a melting point above 115 F., comprising '70 to 90% of crystalline paraflin wax having a melting point higher than 115 F. and 10 to 30% of crude petrolatum containing a small percentage of asphalt.

2. A non-tacky wax coating composition possessing flexibility and having a melting point above 115- F., comprising 70 to 90% of crystalline parafiin wax having a melting point higher than 115 F., 10 to of petrolatum and 10% of asphalt having a melting point of about 160 F.

3. A non-tacky wax coating composition possessing flexibility and having a melting point 25 above 115 F., comprising to. of crystalline paraffin wax having a melting point higher than 10 to 30% of petrolatum containing a small amount of asphalt in solution and 10% of rosin. 30

4. A non-tacky wax coating composition possessing flexibility and having a melting point above 115 F., comprising '70 to 90% of crystalline paraffin wax having a melting point above 115 F.,

10 to 30% of petrolatum and 0.1 to 10% of a thick- 35 ening material.

CARL WINNING. 

